Introduction
In matters of spirituality and picking fruit, one person always comes to mind. St. Augustine, made popular by his book ‘Confessions’ and by the first Christian Rock that I had a chance of listening to at a young age.
However, picking fruit in today’s scenario is very different from the times when St. Augustine as a child stole those pears from a garden. Well, of course… we find them at the supermarket.
So, how does one pick good fruit from the baskets lying in neat piles at the supermarket without getting hoodwinked? Well, we’ve all experienced a time of regret (not necessarily like St. Augustine) when the fruit has been found wanting in the quality department.
Well, so let’s look at some general guidelines that are useful to pick ripe fruit at the supermarket.
Guidelines
1. Seasonal Fruits
It’s no surprise that if you buy fruit in season, you’ll more often than not get better fruit than if you buy it off season, which obviously lacks the flavor and quality that you obtain when you buy it during its season. And for those of you who are particular about value-for-money, the off season isn’t the best time to purchase seasonal fruit.
2. Use your senses (and common sense too)
One important way to pick good fruit at the grocery store/ supermarket is use your senses of smell, touch and the color of the fruit (no purple mangos please!) which are very good clues to determine whether you will get ripe, delicious fruit or sour, unripe or bland fruit.
3. Molds, bruises or spots
If the fruit has been roughly handled or damaged, they’ll have bruises or spots on them. If you find mold on fruits, you’ll know that they’re spoilt. Don’t even try your luck.
4. Using your sense of smell and touch
Not only does the color of the fruit give its quality away but how it smells and its firmness as well. As you should know that some fruits have a ripe odor, and if they smell sour, be more than happy to leave them behind. When it comes to the firmness of the fruit, feel free to press but gently. Also be aware that fruits like apples and pears should be firm but peaches and plums (soft fruits) among others should feel slightly soft to your touch. Being careful about how you ‘feel’ the fruits will ensure that you don’t damage which will result in you having to buy them regardless of its quality.
5. Pick fruit displayed in open storage containers
Even though this point is rather self-explanatory, let me state the obvious anyways. If the fruit is in bags or closed boxes, you can be sure that there will be bad fruit amongst the good ones. And sooner or later, one rotten apple will spoil the entire unless it is separated from that box.
In Closing
Just because the reference to a saint (St. Augustine) was made in regards to picking fruit, it doesn’t mean that you have to be a saint when it comes to picking fruits at the supermarket (as most of them are taken for a ride). If you keep these practical pointers in mind, you can sure that you get your money’s worth while picking fruits every time at the store while also having the pleasure of enjoying the ripe, tasty fruit in the comfort of your home.
